DRUG USE AS A SOCIAL PROBLEM
(Ch. 2)

I. There was a notable absence of laws governing drug sales and use
 

a. Some individuals favor this stance.
 

b. Drug buying and selling was viewed by others as a victimless crime.
 

c. To protect public and private safety, drug laws were eventually enacted. Three main concerns aroused public interest:

1. toxicity

2. addiction

3. crime

II. Toxicity of Drugs
 
a. Toxic indicates poisonous, dangerous, or potentially deadly.
 

b. Physiological toxicity refers to danger to the body.
 

c. Behavioral toxicity alludes to danger resulting from behavior being adversely affected.
 

d. Acute effects are short-term effects of a single dose.
 

e. Chronic effects are long-term effects from repeated use.
 

f. Drug toxicity is monitored by the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN)

· set up by the federal government

· system collects data on drug related crises from several hundred hospital ERs in metropolitan areas    around the country.

III. Drug addiction is difficult to define
a. Addiction involves a complex interaction between an individual, the substance and the social environment.

b. Some drugs such as heroin have a greater dependency potential than others, such as LSD. (See box 2.1, p. 31, Dependency Potential of Psychoactive Drugs)


IV. The relationship between drugs and crime

a. The relationship between drugs and crime is complex and not well understood. Facts are necessary because political actions are taken, and laws are enacted, on the basis of what we believe to be true.
 


Do drugs cause crime? Common "notions" used in politics:

1. Drug use changes the individual's personality in a lasting way. Remember, criminal or antisocial behavior usually precedes       illicit  drug use.

2. Drug use might cause criminal behavior when the person is under the influence. Some drugs are more likely to result in
violent behavior. Alcohol is the drug most associated with violence and is implicated with murder, forcible rape, child-molesting,
suicide, and other violent acts.

3. Crimes are carried out for the purpose of obtaining money. As drug prices increase, crime rates increase.

4. Illicit drug use is a crime.